Thursday, December 15, 2011

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Monday, 12-12-11

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a procession. And if you’ve read my blog before you know that I love a good procession. Well, today was my day. Today we were celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and there was going to be a procession after mass in her honor. In El Salvador, children and sometimes adults get dressed up on this day in indigenous dress. I wasn’t aware of this until I saw several children coming to the park dressed up. They do this because the Virgin appeared to San Juan Diego, who was an indigenous man who had converted to Catholicism.


Our Lady of Guadalupe


Here is some information about Our Lady of Guadalupe:

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) is a celebrated Roman Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary. Under this title, she is officially proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church as the Patroness of Americas, Empress of Latin America, and Protectress of the Unborn Children.

According to Roman Catholic tradition, on December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, a recently converted Aztec indigenous peasant, had a vision of a young woman while he was on a hill in the Tepeyac desert, near Mexico City. The lady asked him to build a church exactly on the spot where they were standing. He told the local Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, who asked for proof in exchange.

Juan Diego went back later and saw the lady again. He told her that the bishop wanted proof, and she instructed Juan Diego to go to the mountain top, where he found Castillian roses, which were native to Bishop Juan de Zumarraga's hometown and could not possibly bloom during wintertime. Juan Diego cut the roses, placed them in his apron-like tilma and returned to the bishop; an imprint of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on the tilma from the residue of the soil and roses.

Today, the icon is displayed in the nearby Basilica of Guadalupe, now one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world. The Virgin of Guadalupe is Mexico’s most popular religious and cultural image, with the titles “Queen of Mexico,” “Empress of the Americas,” and “Patroness of the Americas.” Both Miguel Hidalgo (in the Mexican War of Independence) and Emiliano Zapata (during the Mexican Revolution) carried flags bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Guadalupe Victoria, the first Mexican president, changed his name in honor of the icon.

Photos from the procession:

Before the procession


The church in Berlin


Very handsome


These are my little friends from the park


The Virgin of Guadalupe


A crowd begins to gather


Lots of people


Beautiful dresses


This little girl looks like a doll


Amazing eyes


Too cute


The flowers complete the outfits


Aminta's grandson


Leaving the church


We're ready


Heading to the where the procession will begin


Here comes Father Jacobo


This little guy walked with us


Dresses with the Virgin on them


Getting in place


One of my students


There's the float!


Leaving the church


From the back


The Virgin


These guys stood the whole way


The procession was more than an hour


Walking along


Carrying torches at the front of the procession


People followed behind the float


It was a beautiful night


Take our picture, please!


1 comment:

Matt said...

Another amazing celebration. The kids are all so cute in their costumes.